END GAME

Well time’s up! After 18 months of representing the Bear community, it’s time for this Mr. Ottawa Bear to step down. What an insane 18 months! So much has gone on and I don’t know where to start let alone remember everyone and thank them. But you know me I love to write so I’ll do my best!
I’ve learned allot about myself in the past 18 months. I found out just how much patience I need and how hard it is to always smile and welcome everyone even though I didn’t feel like it sometimes. There were some points in the year I was either, hosting, attending, representing, fundraising for 4 or 5 groups in the same weekend. If I offended anyone by not being polite and giving you a hug then I is so sorry. Oh don’t get me wrong, I’m not talking about you bitches who came to me with your problems and your relationship issues... Seriously! HAHA! But it was a blast!
So here are the thanks!
To the bears from MOB and who look after the community, a big THANK YOU! To the guys at Sugar Bear weekend in Montreal both past and present, To Evenours. To both Mr. Leather Ottawa’s, MLO 2009 Brendan McGovern and especially to MLO 2010 Mike Tattersall, I cannot thank you enough for all you’ve done for the Bear community, the leather community and the GLBT community. You are truly an inspiration to those around you and your hard work (I hope) gets noticed. Thank you to Second Cup, After Stonewall, Swizzle’s, Dog n Pony, Club Ottawa, Dixie Landers for being Goldie Locks on our float last Pride! To Bob Forrest for all the photos, the video we worked on... I’m glad you found inspiration in there someplace...To Shock-Ra who supplied me with gear, to the former MOB’s for your help and encouragement, to all of those who attended brunch, coffee and who bought all of our shit and tickets for fundraisers. Thank you to Jay Smidt for your support and a BIG THANK YOU To Ben for being there in some critical times for MOB when it seemed like nobody else would. George, thank you for making my sash and making me look like a true Sash Queen! (hehehe). To Marcel the MOB president for keeping things together, to Matt who without you we could not have gotten some of these events off the ground. Thank you Jon, even though your stay with us was short, it was appreciated and heartfelt. To the handsome runner up and the current brunch coordinator, Francois, life would be very dull without you in it. The past boards (since I outlived 3 of them) good riddance... I’m kidding! Some of you are so sensitive.... To Bruce, Alan, Shawn, Jordan and again Ben your support during your board terms was invaluable. If I’ve not mention anyone from previous boards it is for reasons well known to them.
There is one final person I need to thank most of all, to my husband Randy. This man took a backseat in our relationship for the past 18 months while I did my thing. He never questioned anything, he always supported me, he attended some events he wanted to and others he felt that it was best that the husband just stayed at home. He told me once, “nobody wants to see a Mr. Ottawa Bear with their husband, they want you for themselves”. I’m not sure what I would do if I did not have Randy in my life. He’s my best friend and I love him more than he will ever know.
To everyone else.... be good. Be kind to yourselves, to your community and to the Mr. Ottawa Bears ahead of us. Community leaders take rolls on because they want to not because they have to.
I’m not sure where I’m going from here. I still have a stronghold in the community with my work as Chair of the LGBT Pride Resource Group through MBNA where I work. MBNA is a true community supporter.
They are a company who’s always put the communities they serve first. They are such a supporter of the LGBTTQ community in Ottawa. I love the work I do and what we do for our community. I’ll always be around.

So I’ll wrap it up. My blog spot as Mr. Ottawa Bear will be quiet but as the great Harvey Milk said “Hope will never be silent” I hope that I’ve given you something to think about over the past year.....what it means to be part of a family... a community... for all the good... and the bad... we will always stand united. As ONE.... That gives me HOPE.

I am truly blessed to have met you all and to have worked with many of you. Thank you for the privilege of letting me be Mr. Ottawa Bear 2009.

Big old Bear hugs

Mr. Ottawa Bear 2009